Bludenz railway station

Bludenz railway station (German: Bahnhof Bludenz) serves the city of Bludenz, in the Bludenz district of the Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg. It is owned and operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). Opened in 1872, it forms the junction between the Arlberg railway and the Vorarlberg railway. The station is also a terminus of the Bludenz–Schruns railway (Montafonerbahn). Regional train services belong to the Vorarlberg S-Bahn, with the S1 service also being part of the Bodensee S-Bahn. Location Bludenz railway station is situated in Bahnhofplatz, right in the heart of the city, on the east bank of the Ill river. Like the river, the lines passing through the station run in a north west - south easterly direction at this point. The station building is on the northeastern side of the lines, facing the inner city. On the other, southwestern, side of the lines is the goods yard. The next operational railway station on the Arlberg Railway line is Langen am Arlberg. There are five defunct railway stations in between: Braz, Hintergasse, Dalaas, Wald am Arlberg and Klösterle. Features Station building The old station building is laid out in a plan of three axes. The three key parts of the building are arranged with eaves facing each other, and are connected by a structure running parallel to the running line. Extending along this structure, on the forecourt side, is a recently constructed large canopy. Inside the building, apart from the typical station facilities, are offices and a canteen for railway workers. Station yard Bludenz has unusually extensive railway facilities. The station yard covers an area of approximately 200 ha. For passenger traffic, there are a main platform and two other platforms with a total of four tracks. In addition, there are two stub sidings one at the northwest end of the yard, and the other at the southeast ends. In the centre of the yard there is a through track. In the northwest corner, since the introduction of a second running line completed from Bregenz only in 1995, there are several tracks for stabling locomotives and railcars. South of that point there is a new motive power depot with ten tracks. Eight sidings are provided for goods traffic. Renovations After twelve years of discussion, the City of Bludenz decided on 26 September 2008 that the station area would be renovated. One effect of the renovations would be that individual motorised traffic near the station would largely disappear. Apart from the station forecourt, the barracks room to its north would be modified, and the workers' room rebuilt. The project was expected to be completed in 2011. Services As of the December 2024 timetable change, the following regional train services exist (the S1 is also part of Bodensee S-Bahn): EC Transalpin: daily service between Zurich HB and Graz. Intercity-Express ICE 62: one train-pair per day between Dortmund Hbf and Innsbruck Hbf. EuroNight (EN) / Nightjet (NJ): NJ: daily overnight trains between Bregenz/Zurich HB and Wien Hbf. EN: daily overnight trains between Zurich HB and Budapest, Prague or Zagreb WESTbahn green: one train per day and direction to Lindau-Insel and Wien Westbahnhof. REX 1: two trains in the morning on weekdays to Lindau-Insel. Vorarlberg S-Bahn S1: half-hourly service to Bregenz Hafen, with some trains continuing to Lindau-Insel. S4: half-hourly service to Schruns. See also History of rail transport in Austria Rail transport in Austria References Further reading Beer, Lothar (1994). Die Geschichte der Bahnen in Vorarlberg [The History of the Railways in Vorarlberg] (in German). Vol. 1. Hard, Austria: Hecht-Verlag. ISBN 3-85298-001-1. Beer, Lothar (1995). Die Geschichte der Bahnen in Vorarlberg [The History of the Railways in Vorarlberg] (in German). Vol. 2. Hard, Austria: Hecht-Verlag. ISBN 3-85298-015-1. External links Media related to Bludenz railway station at Wikimedia Commons This article is based upon a translation of the German language version as at October 2011.